IKEA HYLLIS Hack: A Utilitarian Shelf Goes Rustic Glam

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The moment I ran across the Hyllis shelf on IKEA’s website, I knew I had to hack it. My dining room was crying out for a shelf upgrade, so I drove down to IKEA immediately and bought three of them. You guys… they’re only $15 apiece! My resulting hack has a glamorous vibe with a bit of rustic appeal, and it’s super simple to do. Click through to check it out.   

So much better, right?! I’m loving the contrast of the gold with the dark stained wood. Let’s get started!

Here’s what you’ll need for this project:

• IKEA Hyllis
• Gold spray paint (I recommend Montana Gold)
• Dark wood stain
• Four pieces of wood, size 10.5 x 23.5 and about 3/4 inch thick
• Sandpaper
• E6000 Glue
• Rag or scrap of fabric
• Rubber gloves
• At least two C-Clamps (not pictured) 

Begin by assembling the Hyllis shelf according to the directions and then spray paint it gold. You’ll probably need two thin coats… let it dry thoroughly between coats. And yes, I spray paint in the snow. It’s not ideal because the paint dries slower, but sometimes you have to make due!

Be sure to wipe down the shelf thoroughly with a clean rag to remove fingerprints before you paint, and don’t forget to paint the undersides of the shelves and the insides of the support pieces.

Next, apply the stain to the four pieces of wood. If you’ve never used stain before, don’t be intimidated – it’s surprisingly simple and forgiving! Just be sure to do it in a well-ventilated area and wear gloves and old clothes. Because it is aptly named… it stains. 

Let them dry overnight. You don’t really have to do the undersides of the boards, but make sure you get the sides and go onto the edges of the undersides a bit (shown below).

Now apply a generous portion of E6000 glue to the underside of the board, especially near the edges, and flip it over onto the Hyllis shelf.  

Use C-clamps to ensure that the wood is firmly attached the the shelf. Most wood will be warped slightly, so this step is pretty important. Be sure to place a piece of scrap wood in between the clamp and the stained wood or else you’ll end up with a round indentation where the clamp was.

Place one clamp on each side of the shelf, and let the glue dry for several hours. If you only have two clamps, move them to the next shelf and repeat the process. If you have eight clamps, you can do them all at once!

And that’s it… you’re finished! Now go fill it with pretty knick-knacks. I love the look of it more and more everyday. The shelf we had there before was all wood, and it felt dark and dated. The metal frame of the Hyllis really adds airiness and makes the room feel much more open.

And a quick safety note: be sure to bolt it to the wall, just like you would any tall shelf. There are small holes just below the top shelf that will allow you to do so. And before you call me out for not doing it, don’t worry – it’s on my to-do list for today!

You could personalize this project by painting the wood a different color… white if you want to go super glam, or a bright color if you want to add some funkiness.

This would look great in any room of the house – I can imagine it in the kitchen with piles of white dishware on the shelves, or in the kids’ room with fabric bins for toy storage.

Feel free to leave any questions you have in the comments section below. Happy crafting everyone!